Owning a dog can be a rewarding and exciting experience. It can also be challenging and irritating if your dog does not listen to you. Proper dog training is the key to a happier, healthier relationship with your loyal friend.

The main objective of obedience training is to increase desired behavior and decrease unwanted behavior. You may want to train your dog to follow basic commands, such as sit, stay and lay down. However, perhaps your dog has negative behavioral issues, such as pulling on his leash or running away if he is off-leash, and you would like to correct these negative behaviors.

Positive Reinforcement Training

Positive Reinforcement training, also known as reward based training, is the most popular method of dog obedience training. This type of training reinforces desired behavior and motivates the dog to obey his master. The dog is rewarded with a treat and/or praise for responding favorably to a given command. For example, if you tell your dog to sit and he sits, you reward him. The idea behind this method is that the dog will learn to follow basic commands given by the owner and at some point, the dog will no longer need the reward him to be obedient as the behavior has become second nature to the dog.

One common form of positive reinforcement training for dogs is a method known as clicker training. As soon as the dog begins to perform the desired behavior, the owner clicks a clicker, which is basically a small device that when pressed, emits a clicking sound.The dog will begin to associate the clicking sound with praise. Once the desired behavior is completed, a treat is given to the dog.

Dominance Based Training

Dominance based training is based on the belief that the owner needs to establish dominance, or the position of the alpha dog, rather than the dog. This method of obedience training utilizes physical correction. When the dog displays unwanted behavior, he is punished. The idea is that the dog will begin to associate certain behaviors with punishment and he will stop the undesired behavior. An example of dominance based training would be for you to put your knee into the chest of your dog if he jumps on you.

Shock collar training, also known as electronic collar training, is one common method of dominance based training. Basically, this form of obedience training emits an electric shock when the dog displays unwanted behavior. Generally this method is most commonly used for off leash training and teaching the dog to stay near the owner when off leash. It also can be used to correct unwanted behaviors. For example, you can shock your dog whenever he gets near something he is not supposed to be near or when he does not listen to basic known commands.

Dominance based training is a training method which is considered as a more harmful, often cruel and generally less effective training method. An increasingly large group of dog trainers and dog owners are strongly against this type of training and consider positive reinforcement training as the only acceptable method to train a dog.

Clicker training, also called ‘magazine training’, is a method used to teach animals to perform a behavior through positive reinforcement. Clicker training is most commonly used with dogs and cats but has also seen success with many other species including dolphins, rabbits, horses, and even...

Dog training does not have to be complicated, nor does it take enormous amounts of time to teach your pet the basics. Speaking of basics, we all want our dogs to come to us when called. There are many ways to go about this dog...

Once you have reached the level in training your dog where he is not fooled by distractions or temptation, you are then ready to proceed to the next level of training – how to heel correctly. If your dog cannot walk comfortably at your side,...

As you begin, position your dog at your left side while keeping the leash short. Leave a belly of reserved slack, with your right hand, look at your dog, say his name, then command “Heel”! Begin walking, starting with your left foot. Walk briskly in...

Bringing home a new puppy is a thrilling, exciting experience. However, for a small puppy, the new smells and ...

THE PUPPY INSTITUTE

The Puppy Institute is a leading source for information on dog training techniques, dog training programs, dog training equipment and general dog care.

Our articles are written by passionate dog owners, dog breeders and dog trainers who are dedicated to improve the lives of both dog owners and their dogs. They share techniques and insights that will help you with training your dog the right way and with avoiding techniques & equipment that are harmful to both your dog’s health as your relationship with him.

We strive to maintain a fully truthful and unbiased compendium of original articles, product reviews and training tips, as well as curated articles from other dog related websites.